


Our Garden, Our Castle

by Kabieee



Series: Our Garden, Our Castle (Dimidue) [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Babies, Cooking, Dimidue Week (Fire Emblem), Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Dreams, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Hand Jobs, Husbands, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Intercrural Sex, Light Angst, M/M, Morning Sex, Post-War, Protective Parents, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24236296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kabieee/pseuds/Kabieee
Summary: Dimidue Week 2020 ♡ Stories about Dimitri and Dedue's love both before and during the war, and beyond. (Sister Series to my Sylvix 'Together' AU!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Series: Our Garden, Our Castle (Dimidue) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749325
Comments: 14
Kudos: 51
Collections: Dimidue Week 2020





	1. Domesticity

**Author's Note:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 1: Domesticity!
> 
> I'm so very excited for Dimidue week ;w; They're just as important to me as Sylvix, and I'm very glad to have a thick prompt list for them!! Day one is very soft... I just want them to be happy after the war. Please enjoy!

Domesticity

Dimitri eagerly checked the time on the clock that hung on the wall. It was nearing the seventeenth hour of the day, the regular time he ceased his official duties and left the meeting chambers of his palace. On this beautiful Harpstring Moon afternoon, he was anxious to leave the stuffy castle and head outside. Even more appealing was the thought of doing it with none other than his beloved: his husband, Dedue.

The king’s lover, his primary knight and protector, stood nearby as the minutes ticked on. His face was stern, as was normal, but his hands rested casually over the hilt of his axe, something only Dimitri could notice, even with one eye.

“My love,” he called softly to the other, holding up his hand so Dedue might come clasp it. He smiled when Dedue grinned at him, stepping over and taking it. He put his other on Dimitri’s shoulder, making the king sigh happily and rest his head against his abdomen. “I am so glad we get to cease our duties here shortly. I want nothing more than to spend the evening with you, my dear.”

“The feeling is mutual, Dimitri,” Dedue replied, the ease and flow of his husband’s name still music to both their ears even after all their time together. He quickly bent and placed a quick kiss on Dimitri’s head, squeezing him before stepping back into his stance.

“What would you like to do this evening, Dedue?” Dimitri asked him, thumbing through documents he was supposed to be reading up on. All of his work was in the back of his mind now, all steam and motivation from an over-productive day dwindling in the desire to spend time with his partner. “And do not say that it is up to me,” he smiled, scooting back from the meeting table. Dimitri padded over to his knight, his loving husband, and gently ran his fingers over his breast plate. “I want to spend the night doing everything you’ve wanted. Be it small or grand, our night is for your liking, my love.”

Dimitri could tell Dedue was struggling to think of something. No matter how the king tried, his husband was always hesitant to relax, rarely voicing his own desires. It was something Dimitri had worked with him with since before they married, since after the war ended. Dimitri liked to joke that Dedue only got used to calling him by his name a week before their wedding, so getting the Duscur man to voice his concerns and what he wanted was a challenge. But he knew of a way to lovingly break down the barrier that Dedue maintained for everything but Dimitri, knew how to get him to open up and let his heart soften.

The king removed the axe hilt from Dedue’s hands, leaning it up against his chair at the meeting table. He smiled sweetly up at his knight as he removed his gauntlets, setting them down before taking Dedue’s hands in his own. Dimitri pressed long, tender kisses onto the tops of them and his palms, humming as they stood together in intimate silence.

“Dimitri,” Dedue smiled, unable to maintain a serious face in light of the other’s affection. He let out a happy sigh and closed his eyes, taking the king into his arms for an embrace. His nose nuzzled down into the other’s soft blonde hair, taking in his smell with a small flurry of butterflies in his abdomen. Dimitri would never fail to amaze him even with the smallest of gestures, for they sometimes spoke louder than his words.

“Truly… I would love for you to join me in the greenhouse and the garden,” Dedue muttered, holding the other at arm’s length as he moved hair out of his face. “And perhaps we could prepare dinner together. I have some game that needs to be cooked.”

“That would be delightful, my heart,” Dimitri agreed. He glanced at the documents on the meeting table. “I believe we can end a little early. Nobody is even around to reprimand us!”

The king rolled up the parchment and tucked it under his arm, smiling at his husband before they left the meeting room. Dedue wore a bemused expression at Dimitri’s choice of words, as if anyone in Fhirdiad would dare speak that way to his Highness.

“What sort of greenery do you have growing out in your garden, my love? I must admit, I’ve very much missed visiting it… The winter was so busy. But I remember you speaking of the vegetables you were able to grow there and in the greenhouse.”

“I was able to plant and yield enough that we will not need to purchase many,” Dedue said proudly, making Dimitri squirm with happiness when he clenched his fist victoriously. “And I believe it will please you to know that there is a small family of rabbits that moved in just before the Wyvern Moon. Their young have been growing up and exploring the foliage… It is a welcome sight to see.”

Dimitri could not help but shift his feet to walk closer to his husband despite still being out and about in their official clothes. Dedue was not one for public affections, and Dimitri didn’t mind. But hearing him speak so casually and happily made him yearn to be in his space, excited for their evening together.

“I cannot wait to see them, Dedue. Are they not eating your crops, though?” the king asked with a concerned expression.

“A few. But lending them a meal does not bother me.”

Dedue held open the royal chamber door for Dimitri, following him inside and shutting it behind them. His cheeks flushed as his husband immediately went to help take off his armor, long fingers deftly undoing clasps and hanging up the heavy metal pieces on their hooks. He in turn removed his large fur cloak, hanging it up neatly before turning to look at the other. The Duscur man took two large steps before he had Dimitri in his arms, wrapping them lovingly around his shoulders.

“What a lovely way to end our work for the day, Mitya,” he muttered quietly, sighing as the blonde happily fell onto his chest and buried his face in his neck.

“You deserve it, my love,” Dimitri replied, hands gripping Dedue’s strong back, circling his fingers over the areas he knew that bothered him. “You always work so hard… you deserve to sit and rest.”

“Perhaps after our dinner is completed,” Dedue said with a smile, pulling a sigh from the king’s mouth.

They changed out of their armor and noble attire, limbs relaxing as more comfortable clothing was pulled on over their aching bodies. Dedue gently pulled his husband’s hair back and tied it into a loose ponytail, rubbing his shoulders for a moment as the blonde leaned back into his chest.

The greenhouse was warm and fragrant around them, a beautiful array of foreign plants and crops before their eyes. Dimitri could see Dedue’s shoulders visibly softening and his body moving more fluidly, his large hands going for his tools and apron with a big smile on his handsome face.

“What can I do to help, my beloved?” Dimitri asked eagerly, scanning the flora before them in excitement.

“I would love for you to aide me in pruning the vegetables,” Dedue replied, his voice rich like honey in the happiness of their surroundings. Dimitri looked… so very beautiful standing in one of his happiest rooms in the castle, probably his favorite after their royal chamber. Dimitri, the man who so expertly led the people of Faerghus, was his and his alone in their greenhouse, aching to do such work with Dedue. It made the Duscur man’s heart happy, seeing him so close and with their hair down.

The couple squatted and moved along a line of plants, snipping away dead leaves and adding fresh soil to their beds. Dedue explained to his husband why these fruits were special, as their seeds had come directly from where his village had one stood in Duscur. It made the blonde’s eyes well up with tears, shocking his husband when he set down his tool.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me, my love, while also making me very sad. I am very glad you have yet another little piece of your home. It is like you once said, Duscur continues to live on through you.”

“I sometimes miss it still,” Dedue admitted, smiling at the small buds that hung on the plants. “But I of course would not trade it for my home now.”

Dimitri’s face illuminated, the back of his hand going up to his mouth to hide the silly smile that had broken out on his face. He crept forward to Dedue on his knees and wrapped his arms around his husband, nuzzling into his cheek before kissing him deeply.

“My life only gets better the more days I spend with you, Dedue.”

The husbands temporarily forgot about the task at hand, holding each other in the intimacy and closeness of each other’s embrace. It was only when Dedue heard a small rustling that he pulled away, bringing up his pointer finger to his mouth to silently quiet Dimitri. He motioned his head over to a nearby clump of leaves, which would one day be pumpkins, widening his eyes with a smile at the king.

“Oh, Goddess!” Dimitri said quietly, turning to see three pink noses creeping out of the greenery. One of the babies came forth first, its eyes wide as it anxiously hopped over to the fruit Dimitri and Dedue were tending to. Dedue just held his husband, wordlessly thankful he’d been able to see the small family of rabbits he’d mentioned earlier.

It was followed by one of its siblings and what they assumed were their mother, a trio of beautiful black bunnies with pink noses and long whiskers. They watched happily as they nibbled on the leaves of the plants, Dimitri painstakingly keeping in coos of delight. Dedue slowly lowered one of his large hands after picking an unripe fruit off the stem nearby, offering it to the mother rabbit. When she hopped over and took it, he was able to softly stroke her back, happily biting it up into smaller pieces for her young while he pet her.

“Give it a try, Mitya. She seems very friendly,” Dedue muttered, smiling at Dimitri. The king very anxiously lowered his hand, not breathing as he glided his finger tips over her back. She surprised them by flopping over onto her side, nibbling the fruit while her babies joined them to eat the food provided by Dedue.

“You are so incredible, my love,” Dimitri said, looking at Dedue in awe while he quietly continued pruning the plants. “I am in awe of you.”

“I am so happy you got to see them,” Dedue replied, “they usually do not appear when other members of the staff are around. But when it is just me, I always see Mama and her babies.”

The king and his husband continued with the upkeep of the greenhouse, taking a moment behind the leaves of a large tree to wrap up in each other’s arms in privacy. Dimitri embraced the other strongly, taking in the scent of earth on his clothes and the smell of his sweat forming from the heat of the room.

“I must come with you more often, Dedue. Nothing would make me happier.”

“Dimitri, my heart, you may join me in here whenever you like.”

In the castle’s kitchen, the couple moved around the large space like a dance, gathering ingredients for the meal from the cabinets and cold storage. Dimitri had eagerly learned to cook after they married, wanting to dote upon his lover with meals despite being unable to taste them himself. He had learned to follow recipes and carefully watch the Duscur man’s hands when he went off of them with seasoning. Memorizations of what Dedue considered a ‘pinch’ and ‘just a bit’ had been implanted in his mind, along with years and years of practice. Cooking now was a very fun thing for the king, always surprising his house staff whenever he requested use of the kitchen.

“This is going to be delicious, my love,” Dedue smiled, watching as Dimitri threw together sauces and herbs in a bowl for their poultry. “You have improved so much, and I am so very proud of you.”

Dimitri’s stomach flurried at the praise. There was a rare nagging feeling in him that maybe Dedue only said these things to make him feel good, until reality checked back in and made him realize how silly that notion was. One of Dedue’s own growths since the end of the war was the use of his words, telling not only the king but most people how he felt. That included both positive and negative thoughts, a development that had made Dimitri prouder than anything else.

So to think Dedue might lie to him about his improvement was silly. It was a lighthearted joke between them that Dedue would always be the better cook, but the king still took an obscene amount of pride and pleasure in providing for his husband something that money or his position couldn’t. He watched him with a soft smile as the other man cooked it in a pan on the fire, this tender moment between them filling his chest with love.

“Shall we eat outside, my beloved?” Dimitri asked Dedue, helping him gather their meal and sides from where they were cooked.

“I believe that would be lovely,” Dedue smiled. They loaded up a cart and pushed it outside together, settling down on a soft patch of grass underneath a tree. It was a good walk away from the castle, providing the husbands with an intimate, private place to relax and eat their supper. A symphony of frogs and crickets sang for them in the nearby pond, and bats could be seen swooping down to drink from its surface. The sun was setting over the horizon, and fireflies flickered around them as they ate.

“This is… utterly beautiful, Mitya,” Dedue said quietly, staring directly at his husband despite the beauty of their land around them.

“I could not agree more, my love.” Dimitri set down his empty plate and scooted over to his husband, hugging around his hips with his legs and crossing his arms around his front. “But truthfully, none of it compares to you. Not by a long shot.”

“It is nights like these, moments where we can step away from our duty… these are the moments I look forward to and cherish the most, Dimitri.”

“You surprise me, Dedue,” the king chuckled, squeezing his arms affectionately and pecking the back of his neck. “All those years spent talking of your loyalty and service…”

“Those words are indeed still true,” Dedue replied quietly, moving his hands over Dimitri’s and touching the wedding band around his finger. “Only now I get to do it while loving you. Knowing we will always be by each other’s sides.”


	2. In Between You and I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 2: Patience

Long, silvery strands of hair flowed out onto the pillow beneath the king’s husband. His beautiful cinnamon skin was surrounded by the cream colored sheets below them, soft fabric draped over his strong body. The early morning sun just barely crept in through the canopy around the bed they lie in, the bed in a quiet inn on the western coast of the continent. It was still chilly despite being in the early Harpstring Moon, so Dimitri achingly snuggled up beside his snoozing lover.

Dedue was beautiful. His scars had softened with time, but they only highlighted his features on his handsome face and made the king of Faerghus weak. Weak like no other person had ever been able to, weak when he remembered such a man loved him. Cherished him. Had gone to hell and back all in his name, risking his life more times than Dimitri could count. And this beauty, of course, was Dedue at his very core. He was a kind man, one that visited the orphanages in town with Dimitri and prepared them a warm, home cooked meal from the castle’s kitchen. He would knit and sew traditional Duscur scarves to donate to shelters around their country to keep the less fortunate warm during the coldest winter months.

Dimitri felt biased, but his greatest kindness was always the love he showed him. Ever present by his side in Fhirdiad, standing guard at his side while he worked on kingdom business. Meeting visitors and officials before they made it to him, always determining if they were safe to allow in Dimitri’s proximity. But his love and care were even more abundant in their private chambers, Dedue combing his hair and gently rubbing a healing salve over his scars and old wounds. Kissing him back to sleep should he awake from a nightmare and holding him as though death would come before anything was allowed to cause him harm.

Goddess, all Dimitri wanted to do at this moment was to wake him, to shower him with love and affection in the quiet of their bed. But Dedue had gone to sleep late, enjoying his ale out on the balcony of their room well past midnight. Dimitri hadn’t protested, of course, seeing his husband truly unwinding and relaxing making him exorbitantly happier than a quick rendezvous before bed would have. The Duscur man had smoked a rare pipe, sipping his drink as he happily and quietly watched the waves crashing into the shore out on the beach below, humming a song from his childhood. Dimitri had watched him until he fell asleep, mind and stomach fuzzy just from watching the man he loved so much enjoying himself.

The king allowed himself a gentle caress of Dedue’s jaw, butterflies in his stomach when his still sleeping husband nuzzled into his touch. He flushed when the other rolled over and pulled him close, his face burrowing into Dimitri’s chest with a sleepy sigh of relief. The blonde’s leg went up over his hungrily, but he still simply held him and pressed soft kisses into his cheeks and forehead.

His closeness, though, only fueled Dimitri’s hunger for him. This vacation had been a much needed getaway, so much that they’d left in the middle of the night and only told a few of the house staff where they were going. They’d traveled on horseback to the coast over a few days, dipping in and out of inn’s with extra gold given to proprietors that would keep their stay hushed and private. Dimitri had not returned to the royal chamber until one in the morning some nights, only having to wake again at seven to start the process all over. Such was his duty as king, and he did not mind it, but he often missed falling asleep in Dedue’s arms, insisting he get some sleep when the long hours kept him in council rooms.

Truthfully, Dimitri knew Dedue would not mind if he woke him. But there was the beautiful sight before him that was his sleeping husband, unburdened by a large suit of armor that he’d normally wear. His hands instead held Dimitri instead of his brave axe, soft against his skin in these even softer sheets. Dedue was his and his alone in this moment, his to kiss, his to hold. Dedue would often walk beside him in the capitol, offering his hand for the king to hold, but their soft affections were usually reserved for quiet hallways and quick trysts through gardens should they not have access to the royal bedchamber.

Dimitri’s heart fluttered in his chest when the sleeping man beside him smiled. He felt bad only for a moment when he realized he’d woken him, but the selfishness had paid off when his husband delicately kissed his lips. His eyes were still closed, but a low rumble came from his chest when he stretched against the king and hugged him tighter.

“Good morning, my love,” Dedue said against his skin, warm kisses pressed there before a soft bite with his teeth. Dimitri melted against him, the feeling of selfishness quickly fading when he felt how eagerly Dedue paid him attention. His arms went around him and pulled him into his space, chests pressed together in the intimacy of the canopied bed. “I dreamt of you, you know.”

“I hope it was a good one,” Dimitri laughed, moving stray hairs out of Dedue’s face. He lovingly silenced him with a deep kiss, tongue dancing against Dedue’s lips as it teased deeper insertion into his mouth. The king squirmed happily when his husband gratefully accepted it, grabbing his locks with his large hand and gently pulling. The other lightly ran down the king’s body, squeezing his arm, side, and thigh lovingly. His beautiful emerald eyes finally opened to look at the other, bright and shining even in the dim.

“Any dream of you is a good one, my heart,” Dedue replied, free hand returning to Dimitri’s jaw. He cupped his cheek and smooched him, long and slow, deep breaths filling his chest. “This one was… of a more intimate nature.”

The words flowed into Dimitri’s ears like a song, a song he never wanted to hear the end of. His eyes closed, unable to help the way that phrase shot to his groin and made him yearn. Goddess, how he yearned, quickly zapping back to reality. Reality being his loving, indescribably delicious husband at his side, bare from his head to his toes so the need for snuggling was greater. And he could hear how Dedue yearned for him, his voice shaking slightly in the quiet of their guest room. His hands ran along the most tender spots on the king’s back, squeezing with kisses while he avoided the one spot that would make him see stars.

The king could not help but grind his hips into his husband, a low whine spilling out of him. He brought his hand down to the other’s ass and gave it an affectionate squeeze, appreciating the resulting purr from Dedue. Dimitri lapped his tongue around his collarbone, hoping his actions would bear a mark later on. Nothing set his skin ablaze more than physical reminders of their affection, particularly those only they would ever see. With another squeeze his hand returned to Dedue’s front, softly rubbing as he breathed into his neck.

“What were we doing to each other, Dedue?” Dimitri whispered, hand moving over Dedue’s cock with excitement. Large even without the assistance of arousal, Dimitri quivered with the prospect of him taking the other. However he wanted, exactly as he had dreamt it, Dimitri wanted to make the love of his life feel as good as he made him.

“We were on the beach. It was horribly messy…” Dimitri chuckled at his husband’s neck. “But we had a private spot all to ourselves. I made love to you with the sun setting above us and the waves crashing on the shore just a little ways away. You were… very beautiful.”

“Perhaps the real thing would be even better,” Dimitri said with a smile, looking up into Dedue’s beautiful eyes.

“D-Dimitri, we could never—”

The king laughed against his husband’s chest, his own eyes going half-lidded as his fingertips ran over the head of Dedue’s erection.

“If my heart wants to see me in the sunset on the beach, who am I to deny him?” Dimitri whispered, gently running his hand down the other’s shaft. “I am certain we could find such a private place. I can imagine no greater beauty than seeing you in such a place… Oh, Dedue, you have excited me…!”

Dedue couldn’t help but smile at Dimitri’s enthusiasm. To see him behave in such a carefree way is what truly made him happy, knowing that his love had helped heal his king. Not just the king of Faerghus, of all of Fodlan itself, but the king of Dedue’s heart.

“If it is what you desire, Mitya… I will consider it.” Dedue gently thrusted his hips up into his husband’s hand, shuddering at the shockwave of pleasure rocked through him. Dimitri touched him so lovingly, paying the perfect balance of attention both there and at his neck. His scarred skin felt magical against his own, the softness of the sheets around them enveloping them in a close warmth. “I would love the honor of having you here first, though…”

“How could I ever refuse such a request?” Dimitri muttered, quickening his hand’s movement around his husband’s erection and moaning softly into his ear. “For the one that is so good to me, my entire world and heart. No request of yours would ever go unfulfilled, Dedue.”

“If that is the c-case, Mitya… might you humor me? Will you call me foolish?”

“Dedue! Never in all of my years,” Dimitri replied earnestly yet softly, slowing his pace on the other’s cock as he nuzzled into his chest. “Please—please request whatever you want of me. This time… is as important for you as it is for me, my love. Never be embarrassed to tell me what you want.”

“Mitya,” Dedue breathed out deeply, a warm, genuine smile breaking across his lips. He pulled back Dimitri’s hair from his neck, ravishing it with licks and sucks as his husband pumped him. Dedue gasped and panted quietly against Dimitri, pitifully moaning into his neck. “F-Feels so good, my love… please do not stop.”

Dimitri obeyed, planting a long, deep kiss onto Dedue’s lips, his tongue in his mouth hungry with desire. He was surprised when Dedue flipped him over so his back was pressing into him, his large hands exploring his abdomen and groin as he kissed his scarred back. But the king trusted him, laying happily against his husband as the focus shifted to him.

Or so he believed. Dedue lovingly pumped his cock, sending heat and pleasure through Dimitri’s body like only he could. The Duscur man breathed hotly against his neck, whispering his nickname like a prayer. Dimitri was curious when his hand slowly retreated from his erection to his thigh, nails digging into it as Dedue panted along Dimitri’s back.

“This was… part of my dream,” he confessed quietly, hand going to the inner part of Dimitri’s thigh. He raised it up and sheepishly repositioned himself, positioning his cock in between his husband’s legs.

“O-Oh, Dedue,” Dimitri moaned out, surprised at the pleasure that came when Dedue gently placed his leg down again. It was a beautiful amount of pressure and closeness, and something the couple had not yet tried. The king backed his ass hungrily against the other’s abdomen, silently pleading for him to start.

“I love you, Dimitri,” Dedue growled at the nape of his neck, holding on to Dimitri’s hip for his first few thrusts. The noises that came out of him were unlike anything the king had ever heard, making his own shaft swell with pleasure. “And this is… much better without the sand.”

Dimitri laughed heartily and squeezed Dedue’s hand with love, smiling when the other chuckled as well. The carefree smile quickly turned into a bottom lip bite when Dedue took his cock in his hands, pumping it as he thrusted between his legs. The other’s pitiful grunts and exclamations of pleasure were doing more for Dimitri than the touch of his hand.

“I love you so very much, my heart,” Dimitri muttered happily, reaching back up to Dedue’s silvery locks and grabbing hold. He nibbled at his jaw and keened as he fucked his thighs, feeling how red both their faces were in this intimacy. Dimitri knew this was something he’d enjoy over and over, and desperately wanted to be the one thrusting against Dedue’s thick, delicious legs at some point.

“D-Dimitri…” Dedue achingly gripped Dimitri’s chest with the hand that wasn’t pumping his cock, quickly torn to shreds from the heat coming off of his king. His ass pressed against him, his back arched up from his burning skin as he thrusted against him and massaged his erection. “I will not last long at this rate. You are so beautiful, and you take me s-so well. Are you… enjoying this, my love?”

“Y-yes, Dedue. This is wonderful. You are wonderful,” Dimitri replied, pathetically grabbing Dedue’s hair out of pleasure at both points of contact. The noise of Dedue’s lovemaking was softened, but the sound that came from him penetrating the king’s thighs was heavenly. The friction, the closeness, and his husband’s grunts of pleasure in his ear made Dimitri feel so delightfully subdued.

“This closeness… this is wonderful, my love,” Dedue muttered against his ear, gently squeezing the bud of Dimitri’s nipple with a bite to his lobe.

“I only w-wish I could look at you,” Dimitri said sheepishly, nuzzling his head back against Dedue with a quiet whimper.

“You could, if you so wish,” Dedue replied, easing his thrusts and pace on Dimitri’s cock, motioning for him to turn over. The king did so happily, hungrily kissing his husband now that he faced him. He ached when he saw the look of pleasure on his husband’s face when he returned between his thighs, his eyes shutting tightly in pleasure and a small smile on his face.

“We… might make a mess,” Dimitri whispered quietly, yet grinding his erection up against Dedue’s stomach.

“There are more worrisome situations we could be in, Mitya,” Dedue growled in response, resuming his thrusts, his voice breaking in a pathetic, pleasurable moan. “D-Dimitri—”

It was then the king knew his husband was finally relaxing. He’d patiently waited for this vacation for the both of them, hoping and praying that the other would truly be able to relax when he needed it so. To not worry about a mess being made, not fretting over soiling the sheets with their lovemaking was all the confirmation the king needed. It was silly, but certainly a sure indicator that Dedue was concerned with nothing but loving him in this moment.

“Y-Yes, Dedue, more,” Dimitri begged, gently squeezing his thighs together and wrapping his arms around Dedue’s neck. His husband grunted in pleasure and fucked his thighs faster, opening his eyes so he could look at Dimitri. His beautiful king, husband, and best friend, the one he was so ridiculously lucky to be spending his life with. His and his alone in this intimate warmth, and he the only person who could make such a man scream in pleasure. Dimitri needn’t even pump himself, for their friction and heat against one another made him cum nearly untouched as Dedue teetered on release.

With his warm spend on both their stomachs, Dedue gently yanked back his king’s hair and pulled while he ravished Dimitr’s neck with sucks. He lapped up his taste achingly, even more encouraged to thrust when the taste of sweat could be perceived. There was a longing to be inside him, to be making love to him in their regular way, but there was always time for that later. Here and now, Dimitri was at his loving mercy, providing affection and closeness while they ventured out into something new and exciting.

Dedue was silent as he came, his last moan broken out of his mouth and rattling his chest. He’d pulled out from between Dimitri’s thighs, pumping himself until he added to the mess on their abdomens. Dimitri kissed him all the while, breathing deeply against his mouth as his hands grabbed at every inch of Dedue they could reach. When the king’s husband finally allowed himself to breathe, he fell back down into the sheets, shuddering as Dimitri scooted down, his one blue eye gazing up at him as he licked him clean. A brief, nearly nonexistent pang wanted to tell him to stop, but the Duscur man could not deny how his heart raced seeing the other ravish him so softly. It was only natural that he pin the king down and repay the favor, peppering his creamy skin with kisses while he cleaned him.

They lie there together in the afterglow of their encounter, silently enjoying each other’s warmth and kisses as the sun fully rose outside. Talks of venturing out into the late spring day popped up, Dimitri playfully hinting again he wanted to make Dedue’s dream from the night before a reality. But it would all come with patience, when the couple could pull themselves away from each other long enough to dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on twitter! @setethstiddies


	3. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 4: Hope
> 
> Dimitri and Dedue lie in their bed, the first time in a long while they weren’t tangled up within each other. Yet they could not be more in love, happier, or grateful for the distance that separated them. For in between them was a tiny baby, their baby. Isabel Blaiddyd Molinaro had been born hours earlier, when the moon was still high in the sky and darkness consumed the land outside the castle. Yet every torch and candle in Fhirdiad had been lit in anticipation of her birth, its people waiting anxiously to hear the news of a safe and healthy baby for the king and his husband. She’d come right on schedule, powerful lungs wailing out into the royal chamber just at the stroke of three. Even at this hour, the king and Dedue were certain, parties and celebrations were still joyous in their city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of my Together series while also being part of this Dimidue one LOL. I've wanted to write drabbles/fics for the Dimidue side of that fic since they're so important to me, and I couldn't think of a better opportunity than with the 'Hope' prompt :) Please enjoy!

Dimitri and Dedue lie in their bed, the first time in a long while they weren’t tangled up within each other. Yet they could not be more in love, happier, or grateful for the distance that separated them. For in between them was a tiny baby, _their_ baby. Isabel Blaiddyd Molinaro had been born hours earlier, when the moon was still high in the sky and darkness consumed the land outside the castle. Yet every torch and candle in Fhirdiad had been lit in anticipation of her birth, its people waiting anxiously to hear the news of a safe and healthy baby for the king and his husband. She’d come right on schedule, powerful lungs wailing out into the royal chamber just at the stroke of three. Even at this hour, the king and Dedue were certain, parties and celebrations were still joyous in their city.

She was so little next to her two fathers, cinnamon skin slightly pink from her newness and a small plot of wispy white hair growing out of her tiny head. A thankful nap had finally eased her fussing and crying, although both men would stay up with her until the end of time if she needed them. Both her hands held on to Dimitri’s one finger, the same where his wedding band rested. Neither of her fathers spoke, too in awe of their child to say much.

Dimitri was pulled out of his hypnotic trance from staring at their beautiful baby when he heard sniffling. He looked up at his husband to see him crying, chest tightening when he saw it. To see Dedue Molinaro, his protector and soulmate, crying so freely at the sight before him was nearly too much for Dimitri to bear. He’d seen the other cry only a few times their entire lives, but the tears he’d seen that day outnumbered the others in spades. But these tears were welcome, an indescribable miracle that such a man could be so quickly taken and dominated by such a small creature. Their daughter was only eight and a half pounds, yet she had her shield of a father already wrapped around her microscopic fingers.

“My beloved,” the king smiled, lifting himself up so he could kiss Dedue’s cheeks, wiping them with one hand as he went. “I love you so very much.”

“And I you, Dimitri,” Dedue replied, taking his eyes off Isabel for the first time in hours. He looked into his husband’s baby blue eye, the same color as those that rested in their daughter’s head. The thought alone brought another wave of emotion through him, making him put his hand over his mouth so he didn’t wake her. Dimitri smiled happily at him and gently ran his thumb over his cheeks.

“I cannot… thank you enough for all that you did for me last night, Dedue. For the past nine months, for our entire marriage! I truly could not have been more blessed than I was when I found you.”

Dedue had to quietly clear his throat and stare at his husband for a good long second before he replied.

“You speak of my contributions… when the most important one was done by you, Dimitri.” Dedue’s gaze once again returned to their daughter, who was yawning widely and pushing her little arms out from her blanket.

“We were a team, my love. It could not have been done without both of us.”

Dedue knew in his heart that Dimitri was right, but there was a new sense of devotion and love for the man before him when he looked at their daughter. It was he who had brought her into the world, all Dedue did was give him back and foot rubs, it seemed.

As always, Dimitri seemed to be reading his mind.

“You had better not be making light of your own contributions, my beloved,” he said softly, reaching over and resting his palm against Dedue’s cheek.

“I am just in awe of her, Dimitri. Our little princess is finally here.”

It was Dimitri’s turn to tear up. He sniffled and nodded furiously, tucking in her blanket underneath her as he tried to hold it in. She was as healthy as an ox, as Mercedes and the other healers had commented after her very first checkup moments after she was born. Her lungs were strong, and a very gentle spell had told her parents’ old friend that she had developed with no complications. Isabel had come safely and was now theirs to love for the rest of time. He could not help but cry, their daughter being mere hours old but facing an entire lifetime of absolute devotion from her fathers.

“I am so very happy she favors you, Dedue,” he whispered, a few happy tears falling down the king’s cheeks as he stroked hers. She was Dedue in every aspect: large (Dimitri prayed a thousand thanks to the Goddess that she had come out smoothly despite her size), and with gorgeous Duscurian skin and hair. She’d be an identical copy were not for her eyes, which Dedue admitted was his favorite characteristic of her.

Dedue was quiet for a moment, clearly deep in thought as he joined his husband’s hand at Isabel’s little feet.

“Is something troubling you, my beloved?” the king asked, resting his head down on the pillow below him.

“I am curious if she bears a Crest,” Dedue started, after moments of quiet broken only by the small cooing noises from their daughter between them in her sleep. “And… Dimitri, my love… I worry about her future. I know things have changed from how they were when I was a child, since the tragedy. But I know there are still those living who refuse to believe the truth. What if… they were to try to harm her?”

Dimitri’s chest was tight, and no matter how much he hated it, he knew there was truth to his husband’s words. Although his first efforts as king had been to repair the status of Duscur, to ensure its people could not be discriminated against, some elder citizens of Faerghus were not quick to forgive. Nor were they ready to learn about the truth, holding on to the hatred from the Tragedy of Duscur all those years ago. They were much quieter now, but every now and then one was mentioned in the papers or turned up in a jailcell for their actions.

“I will breathe my last breath before she is ever harmed, my love,” Dimitri replied quietly, gripping his husband’s hand strongly and blinking tears out of his eye. “I do not ever wish the color of her skin makes her the target of someone else’s ignorance. I want her to be proud of the way she looks, just as we are. And if she bears a Crest… Goddess, truthfully, part of me does not even want to have her screened. Would it be better if we just did not know…?”

Dedue’s surprised look made the king laugh.

“I know it is our responsibility as her parents to see, to make sure we know of her potential gifts or strengths. But it will mean nothing more. She will inherit this throne, the title of Queen if she wishes. Or our darling girl can do whatever she pleases. I want her life to be what she wants. You know I love my people, and love being their king, but if it is not what she wants, then…”

“Dimitri…” Dedue’s voice broke with happiness, a wide smile quickly breaking out onto his handsome face. He had known from the beginning that they would support Isabel’s path no matter what, but to hear his husband say that she did not have to assume power if she did not want to was still as comforting as a hymn. The Duscur man scooted down so his face rested near hers, hand moving from Dimitri’s over her little body. He could barely grasp still, even with their miracle laying in between them, that she was here. Here for them to love and protect, to teach about the world and watch grow. Dedue could only remember one other time when he was this happy: the day he and Dimitri had expressed their feelings for one another.

“Whatever her path, I know she will do well.”

“How could she not? She is our daughter, after all.”

Dedue smiled and nodded, offering a gentle kiss on their baby’s cheek. More happy tears formed in his emerald eyes when her hand reached for him, so he lifted up his hand for her to take.

“I will teach her about her heritage. Our songs, our recipes. All of the things I thought would be lost. She will know where part of her comes from.”

Dimitri thought his happiness could not spread any more than it already had, but seeing his husband and daughter laying side by side was nearly too much for him to bear. He gently lifted Isabel up and took her space in the middle, relief filling up his limbs as he once again snuggled into Dedue’s side. The king placed their daughter on his chest and closed his eyes in quiet joy.

“She could have no better teacher, Dedue. For someone that loves her so to teach her about Duscur… I could ask for nothing better for our child. And… others that may come in the future.”

Were Dedue to fully express how those words made him feel, he would have had to take his leave from the bed so he would not wake their baby. All he could do was close his eyes tightly and nod at his husband, wrapping his arm under him and over Isabel.

“The only thing I’ll do better in my life than loving you, Mitya, will be loving them. For our family to grow is more than I could ever hope for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fun on twitter! @setethstiddies :D


	4. Darling Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 5: Wildcard!
> 
> Dimitri sings Isabel to sleep when she's fighting a cold, but discovers his husband also loves the sound of his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I wrote this really fast but I'm legit crying over my own work lol TwT Same universe as the previous chapter + my Together series! Please enjoy ;w;  
> And the song he's singing is Baby Mine from Dumbo,,, just changed baby to darling!

Dimitri rolled over onto his side for the third time that evening if he remembered correctly. Isabel had been coughing up a storm all night, the poor princess sick with a slight cold in the midst of her first Faerghan winter. Despite their best efforts to keep her warm and dry, she’d developed some sniffles after her bath one night. But the king and his husband did not mind, only desperately wishing she didn’t have to suffer through the coughs and the sneezes. Mercedes had advised against a magical remedy since she was still so little, and wanted her body to be able to fight infection naturally.

So here they lay, in the middle of the night during the mid-Guardian Moon, the princess with her fathers surrounding her protectively. Dimitri frowned and pulled his daughter to his chest before standing up, padding with a light step over to the basin in the corner of the royal bedchamber. A small glass bottle contained a special formula Mercedes had created with natural ingredients, a formula that had kept most of Isabel’s cold at bay. It aimed to dry up her nose and soothe a sore throat, and could be given just like her meals were.

Dimitri slowly patted her back as he warmed up the formula over the fireplace, which still flamed enough to provide adequate heat. She fussed quietly against him, but when her tiny hands grabbed on to the front of his nightshirt, she seemed comforted knowing it was her papa. The king softly sung her a song to ease her frantic fingers and small cries, swaying on his feet in front of the fireplace.

“Papa has you, my heart,” he whispered to her, taking the formula off of the heating rack. He tested it on his arm before walking over to a rocking chair nearby, a gift from Gilbert. Dimitri sat down with his daughter and slowly rocked her as he gave her the medicine, unable to keep himself from losing all sense of tiredness as he looked at her. At only six months old she was still tiny, but her beautiful white hair had started to grow and stood up a lot less. Her identical eyes looked up at him curiously as she drank, eyebrows furrowed as though she were concentrating on something very important. Her father could not help but smile ridiculously, feeling a stronger sense of love each time he gazed upon her.

“Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, darling of mine,” Dimitri sang softly, heart panging in his chest. Patricia had sung that to him as a child… and despite everything he had learned after the war against the Empire, it still held a special place in his heart. And his daughter simply adored it when he sang to her; her baby blue eyes lit up and a smile on her lips distracted her from the medicine.

He sheepishly blinked back a few tears and smiled down at his and Dedue’s child, thankful they had the means and medicine to treat her cold. Dimitri didn’t know what he’d do if she had to wait it out and suffer without any relief, knowing his post traumatic stress disorder would not allow it. He could already see its effects as his daughter’s sniffles subsided, not hearing another cough once she had drunk the formula.

Dimitri looked up when he heard Dedue rustling in the bed. Guilt struck him as his husband walked over, only to be replaced with relief when he saw he was smiling.

“I am sorry if I woke you, Dedue,” he muttered, frowning at the other.

“I was only half asleep anyway, Mitya,” Dedue replied, stooping so he could gently caress Isabel’s head and give her a soft kiss. “I am glad to see she is feeling better,” he said quietly, nodding at the formula in his husband’s hand. “But if I am being truthful… I loved hearing you sing to her as well.”

“Oh, do not be silly, my love,” Dimitri chuckled, setting the empty bottle down on the nearby coffee table. “It is just a song that—a song I remembered from my childhood. It always helped me get to sleep.”

“Either way, I was very moved by your lovely voice.”

Isabel bubbled some nonsensical noises, eyes heavy but still very much awake. Dedue offered his arms to hold her so Dimitri could stand.

“Perhaps if you continued singing the song, she might be lulled back to sleep?” he suggested, protectively holding their daughter in his strong arms, soft enough as though he were holding a precious piece of glass.

“She does well with the movement, as well,” Dimitri gently reminded him, stepping closer to his husband and putting his hand on his arm.

“Sing for us, Dimitri. Sing for both of us?”

The king nodded and snuggled up next to Dedue’s chest, putting his hand over Isabel’s blanket. He squirmed happily when the other put an arm around him, nodding at him in encouragement with a loving grin.

“Darling mine, don’t you cry. Darling, mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, darling of mine. Little one, when you play, don’t you mind what they say. Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear, darling of mine.”

Dedue swayed gently, holding the two most precious people in the world to him close while Dimitri sang. He kissed them both on the cheek, knowing he’d be quite content if they lived in the moment for the rest of their lives.

“From your head to your toes, you’re so sweet, goodness knows. You are so precious to me, cute as can be, darling of mine.”

And like that, their precious princess was asleep in her father’s arms. Dimitri kissed Dedue on the lips, not wanting to pull away for anything in the world.

“Let us put her back in bed. I would… not mind if we continued holding each other,” Dedue whispered to him, running his free hand down Dimitri’s cheek slowly. He returned their daughter to her spot in the middle of the large royal bed, giving her a small barrier of pillows should she roll in her sleep. He returned to his husband in front of the fireplace, taking him in his arms to dance once more to music only they could hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOHOO THEYRE SUCH GOOD DADS AND THEY'RE IN LOVE


	5. By the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 6: Flowers, Family
> 
> Dimitri and Dedue travel to Duscur with Isabel. (It's a good happy cry but maybe get some tissues LOL)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro I cried twice while writing this. I just. They're so in love and are so happy now but Dedue lost so much! But thankfully he has a family now that he's so lovingly created by his side ;___;

“Dimitri, are the bottles packed?”

“Yes, and I grabbed a few extras, as well.”

“And her diapers?”

“Ah, those went in at the beginning. They are at the bottom. We shall have to dig those out when we arrive…”

“Then I believe we are all packed.”

The king and his husband stood in the center of the royal bedchamber, double and triple checking their trunks to make sure nothing had been left out. Most importantly, their eight-month-old daughter sat up in the middle of the bed, her favorite lion toy’s ear suckled in her mouth.

“We cannot forget the little princess,” Dimitri cooed at Isabel, picking her up and holding her close to his chest. She immediately dropped her lion and put her little head down, making her fathers smile happily.

In just a short while, the royal family was embarking on their very first trip together. Dedue and Dimitri had been to the destination numerous times before, but it was going to be extra special with their daughter this time around. For it was the Faerghan princess’s first time in her ancestral land: Duscur. The trip had been carefully planned by her fathers, who wanted to make it a non-kingdom related visit despite her being so little. They wanted to take her there with the simple premise of existing in the land Dedue’s family had once lived, where her grandparents had met, fallen in love, and raised their family. The land that was slowly, year by year, returning to its once populated and flourishing past.

A knock at the door signaled that the house staff had arrived to retrieve their luggage. Dedue and Dimitri thanked them, securing the trunks after the last few of Isabel’s blankets and toys had been packed away. The little family made the trip down to the entrance hall, where the small group of knights was waiting for them. Ingrid and Ashe would be accompanying the little family on their trip, and were smiling excitedly when little Isabel held out her arms for them when they approached.

“Are you excited for your trip, your Highness, Dedue?” Ashe grinned, bouncing slightly in his suit of armor as Dimitri handed over the little princess.

“Very much so, Ashe,” Dimitri replied, “and we are very happy to be showing her Duscur after all this time.”

“I read that it has become more densely populated in recent years due to your reform, your highness,” Ingrid chimed in, gently tickling Isabel’s tummy to the delightful sound of her laughing.

“The area where we are traveling to has seen much growth,” Dedue said with a fond smile, clenching their daughter’s travel bag tightly on his shoulder. “I am both lucky and thankful it is my homeland, the place where my mother and father resided.”

“I cannot wait to see it,” Ashe smiled softly, nodding at them all.

The coachman came in to announce the carriage was ready for boarding, so Ashe returned Isabel to her father. He and Ingrid mounted their horses as the king and his husband settled inside the humble, plain carriage that would take them to Duscur.

**

Dimitri awoke with a gentle shaking from Dedue. As his eyes blinked open, he followed his pointing fingers to the window of the carriage, nearly breathless at the sight before him. Fields as far as the eye could see spread out around them, golden with growing wheat and grass in the Great Tree Moon day. He clasped Dedue’s hand in excitement, hoping to capture this beauty in his memory for the rest of his days.

“We are almost to the sea,” Dedue said. “Our cottage is a mere stroll from the beach. It is going to be quite beautiful.”

“My heart is racing, Dedue,” Dimitri admitted, leaning over to the other bench in the carriage, where Isabel was still sound asleep. “What would you like to do first after we get settled in?”

“Ah…” Dedue started, eyes softly gazing downward, a sad smile creeping over his face as he looked at Isabel in her carrier. “I would like to visit my parents’ and sister’s grave. I know some of our remaining neighbors managed to bury them after the conflict.”

“Oh, yes, my beloved, of course,” Dimitri replied gently, turning his body towards his husband and bringing him into his arms. “We should get them some beautiful flowers. Would we be able to procure some nearby?”

“Yes. I know just the spot,” Dedue said quietly, softly kissing the king. “I am… more overjoyed than words can convey that you two are both here with me, Dimitri. This has been a dream I have had for longer than I can remember. Just us and our daughter, walking the land of my people. Our people,” he muttered, looking back over at their sleeping baby, unable to help his eyes glassing over with emotion. “There is so much I want to do with her and you both while we’re here. Should we find a village elder, they can perform a ceremony that officially makes her a citizen of Duscur. I believe it is like the ceremonies in Fodlan, only connecting the child with our many gods instead of just one goddess.”

“I want her to take part in everything, my love,” Dimitri agreed, gently moving her blanket down so they could see her face better. “I want to provide her with clothing from your homeland. Items she will have so she knows where she comes from. I do not want her future to be without these teachings, this knowledge.”

“It makes me prouder than anything to hear you say that, Mitya,” Dedue said, kissing Dimitri’s cheek and leaning against the padded wall of the carriage. They spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, beholding the Duscurian landscape before them in awe.

Dedue brought their luggage inside the cottage when they arrived, helping Ashe and Ingrid board the horses in the nearby stable while Dimitri went in to change Isabel. His aversion to the creatures had improved with time, now able to at least tend to them even if he chose never to ride one in his life. He returned to the cottage to check on his husband before they set out.

“I believe our darling girl is ready to see Duscur, my beloved,” the king said softly, securing her diaper with a pin and pulling her up to kiss her chubby cheeks. He had fashioned small red ribbons into her beautiful white hair, creating the smallest of pigtails on the sides of her head. When she saw Dedue she fussed and reached for him, making her other father smile with pride and love.

“I am ready for her to,” Dedue agreed, kissing their baby and reaching out a hand for Dimitri. Ashe and Ingrid would be staying at the cottage for the time being, relaxing after their long ride on horseback. Dedue had brought one of his smaller axes and had strapped it to his back underneath his cloak should they run into any trouble. They bid them a restful afternoon and started walking down a tree lined path, venturing further into the forest.

“The flowers I would like to get for my family’s graves are not too far,” he said softly, lacing his fingers in with the king’s and smiling. “My sister and I always came out here and picked them as children. She was slightly allergic, I think,” he laughed, heart feeling heavy in his chest at the memory.

“Would you mind telling me more about them, my love? I know you have told me stories before, but being here in your birthplace just makes me want to know more.” Dimitri squeezed his hand lovingly and smiled up at his husband. Dedue sighed, but he could tell it was a happy one, one with a strong hint of excitement.

“My sister… she was my best friend,” Dedue started, eyes going to Isabel with a grin. “Our little princess actually reminds me of her when she was born. But her hair was so curly my mother could not get a brush through it. She never really tried as Diana grew.”

“Diana… oh, her name is so beautiful, Dedue…”

“She was named for our goddess of hunting,” Dedue said, now gazing out at the forest around them. “My mother was a very skilled huntress, and she prayed to Diana every single Moon for bountiful game.”

“Oh, my, I had no idea it was your mother who did the hunting!” Dimitri looked sincerely surprised, but then felt foolish knowing the gender roles of Duscur had never matched up with those of Fodlan. The women, as Dedue had told him, took a much larger part in providing for their families, whether it was by hunting or farming.

“Yes. Mother was almost as tall as I am now,” Dedue chuckled, “so you can imagine how large my father was. Father stayed at home and grew our crops and tended to the livestock. But every now and then he would go out with Mother. I realized as I grew older that he… _liked_ to watch her throw spears.”

“Oh, goddess, that is too much,” Dimitri laughed, holding his side. He could see where Dedue’s father’s mind was at, knowing the sight of Dedue powerfully swinging around an axe at the academy had awoken many things in him.

“Mother and Father were always very open about their love for each other. It is one of my fondest memories of them. Diana always held her ears whenever they would tell each other of their love.”

“Yes… if Father and Patricia had the luxury of being alone, he was sure to tell her,” Dimitri muttered, eyes sadly drifting to the beautiful forest path before them. He felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder from his husband.

“I never wish for our children to wonder if we love each other,” Dedue said quietly, slowing his steps so he could kiss Dimitri. “I do not plan on ever leaving them—I will never leave you, either, my heart, but I want them to know nothing but love in our family.”

“We share yet another dream, Dedue,” Dimitri muttered happily, standing closer to Dedue and wrapping his arm around his back. They looked at Isabel and smiled joyfully at her, kissing her fat cheeks as she giggled at them.

The deeper into the forest they went, the less light shone through the tops of the trees. Dimitri wondered how anything grew here, but reveled in the sight of the beautiful flora around them. Large leaves hung from trees around them, phosphorescent, glowing fungi lined the path they walked on. It was dim and slightly eerie; Dimitri knew he would never allow Isabel to come here, at least not by herself.

“Here they are.” Dedue’s voice was heavy and somber, but his husband could see a smile on his face all the same. A large bush off the path was home to magnificent blooms that reminded the king of peonies but had beautiful blue petals. Dedue removed a small pair of shears from his belt and stepped over to them, chopping long stems carefully after handing Isabel to her father. “Hmmm… I wonder…”

Dedue paused his trimming, setting the one stem down on the ground before squatting. He delicately moved a few branches of the bush to the side, peeking around towards the base. “Oh my… Mitya, come look.”

Dimitri heard his voice breaking slightly, his chest tightening as he eased down to his knees with Isabel in his arms. Underneath the leaves sat a pure white rock, upon which he could see a carving of words beneath a crack at the top.

“Oh, Dedue…”

 _dedue molinaro . diana molinaro_  
pegasus moon 1173  
‘go fetch the flowers, my dears’

Dimitri looked at his husband, who bore a painful yet beautiful smile. He touched the rock softly, tracing Diana’s name as he took a deep breath and blinked furiously.

“My mother would always say this to us when she wanted flowers for the home,” Dedue muttered, sitting back on his rear quietly. His beautiful emerald eyes could not be taken from the rock, not even as Dimitri scooted beside him and put his head on his shoulder.

“This is such a beautiful memory, Dedue. Beautiful but heartbreaking. This was just three years before…”

“Yes,” Dedue whispered, finding comfort in his husband’s proximity by placing his hand on his leg. “We did not come here often, as the darkness of this part of the forest frightened our parents. But they knew we came here anyway,” he chuckled softly, finally blinking as he looked at the rock.

“Do you wish to take this with you? I believe having it would be a beautiful thing,” Dimitri said quietly, squeezing Dedue’s hand.

“I… think so too. That way, Diana is not alone in this forest any longer.”

Dimitri teared up at that, hands quivering around Isabel as his husband retrieved the rock from under the bush. He set it aside as he continued cutting the flowers, trimming ten total off of it.

“I would also like to dry and press one of the stems,” he said to his husband, holding the bunch softly in his arms. Dimitri blinked through his tears and nodded, hastily wiping his eyes as they turned back around.

**

“Mother, Father, Diana.”

Dedue stood on the cool soil before three graves. They were marked with simple wooden emblems, the words upon them faded from weather and time. His chest was tight and his heart raced achingly inside him, but at the breaking of his voice his husband squeezed his hand lovingly. He took a deep breath and stared pointedly at his sister’s in the middle. Never a man for many words, Dedue knew exactly what he wanted to say, knew what he wanted them to know. The only important things he need spend words and breath on.

“You would be proud of the Fodlan Dimitri has created. Our people are prospering once again. Duscurian flowers and crops grow beautifully on our ancestral land, and children are once again learning our language and customs.

“Dimitri and I’s child, your granddaughter, will be learning about you and our traditions when she is old enough. I think that she too would make you very proud.

“I know that my husband would make you proud as well. He loves Isabel and I like no other person could.”

Dimitri watched as Dedue gently set down the blue blooms on his family’s graves, blinking away tears when he saw his husband tearing up. He padded over and bent down to put his hand on each of the emblems, sending a prayer to the goddess that they were resting peacefully. The king had offered to have more permanent headstones made for them, and he was grateful that Dedue had agreed on the condition that the originals would remain.

The sun was slowly setting over them, casting the small graveyard in a beautiful orange glow. The waves hitting the shore nearby could be heard, making Dimitri and Dedue feel as though there could be worst places to rest after death. Dedue smiled at Dimitri, cupping his cheeks softly before wrapping he and their baby girl up in a warm embrace.

“I could not feel more humbled and happier that it is I you chose to spend your life with, my beloved. Showing me all of this… I am so grateful. I love you, Dedue.”

“Nobody else in this entire world could stand at my side like you, Dimitri. My heart and entire being are yours.” Dedue once again kissed him, to which Isabel fussed slightly and reached for her fathers. “Well… you may have a little competition.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COME CRY WITH ME


	6. How Delightful It All Could Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimidue Week 2020 Day 7: Future
> 
> Dedue dreams of everything he could ever hope for. Despite it all being a hopeless path he'll never be able to take, his dream allows him to think of a future where he and Dimitri are side by side as partners.
> 
> (Spoiler alert, it's a dream but it's his exact future)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so emo posting this... they're so in love and I love their love ;A; I hope you enjoyed this little side series! I'm officially dubbing it the start of my Together fic's sister series! It allllll is apart of the same universe and timeline :) And this fic solidifies that!

Dedue stood shell-shocked in the dining hall, heart pounding almost painfully in his chest. His fists were clenched at his sides as he watched Dimitri silently steadying himself. The footsteps of the gossiping knights had finally faded, and now it was only he and his Highness alone. Alone surrounded by the painful words of the knights, Dimitri standing up for him, and Dedue’s persistence that he was only Dimitri’s vassal. For no matter how his heart beat for the prince, that was all Dedue was. The saving of his life by Dimitri was his reason for continuing to live. To serve Dimitri for the rest of his life was how he planned his days, ignoring other feelings and urges that had developed in his recent years.

“Do you really believe I care one bit about the chatter of the ignorant?”

The Duscurian man’s palms clammed up, his chest tightened horribly and he could almost feel himself frowning forlornly.

“Of course not. Please excuse my impudence.”

Dimitri took a few steps towards him, gaze cast downward as he stopped and went to offer his hand to his friend. But he hesitated, gently yet pointedly taking it back. He looked up into Dedue’s emerald eyes and sighed, a visible weight on his shoulders.

“I understand the intention of your words. Still, they grieve me. If you wish it so, you may continue to think of yourself as my vassal. I clearly cannot stop you. We need not be anything more, or anything less. If that is what you wish, Dedue, so be it.”

Dedue did not often think of correcting the prince. He always listened to what he had to say, letting him know in private if he had a differing opinion. It was never the time or place for Dedue to speak his mind, to let his Highness know if he felt his positions were too soft. These were things they could speak about in private, when the other would nearly interrogate him for his true feelings until he opened up.

But it was these defense mechanisms that had kept Dedue’s biggest secret his all along. Stifling his words, waiting hours upon hours to finally say them taught him to do the same things with his feelings for Dimitri. The feelings that never seemed to go away no matter what he did. Seeing the prince stop to give a small child their toy after they dropped it in the street, holding doors open for both their male and female classmates alike despite his position. Each little thing he did that showed his kindness, all of the sunshine he brought in an attempt to stifle the darkness that brooded in his heart only made Dedue fall more in love with him.

But Dedue was the prince’s vassal. A mere pawn for his disposal should he need him. There was no room for these feelings in assuring Dimitri were to ascend the throne of Faerghus when it came time. Forget the fact that Dedue was of Duscur, and such a relationship had no place in Fodlan after the tragedy. Dimitri needed a shield, someone who could fend off all that attempted to harm him or his rightful rise to power.

Dedue’s heart could be heard breaking in his chest as Dimitri looked at him so sadly. The pain could be felt coming off of his drooped shoulders, heard in his breaking voice. Dedue so desperately wanted to reach out and take that hand, wanted to tell him how very wrong he was.

But that is something Dedue could not bring himself to say. All he could do was stiffen his stance and look apologetically at the other, as he often did. He and Dimitri both knew this was how things had to be, no matter how grandiose their dreams were of a Fodlan that did not discriminate against people with Dedue’s heritage. It was a far-off dream he realized he would probably never see in his lifetime. So long as he could be by Dimitri though, as his shield, Dedue could take not being there as his partner.

**

Dimitri was a bit quieter than normal at dinner, but he still chose a spot right beside Dedue and chatted to him about their training the next day as they ate. Dedue was happy for the sense of normality, unsure of what he’d do if things had grown cold or distant between them. He could tell his words had hurt the other, and that it might take more than a night for him to get past them.

Since he knew it was somewhat moot to offer the prince a drink of special treat made by his own hands, Dedue quietly suggested that Dimitri accompany him to the greenhouse that night. The smile that lit up his Highness’s face made Dedue’s heart soar. The prince had finished his food quickly and eagerly followed the other down the stairs to get to the greenhouse.

“It is so beautiful in here, Dedue,” he muttered happily as the other pushed open the large wooden doors. “I should come in here with you more often!”

“You should not be concerned with the work itself, your Highness,” Dedue replied, taking an apron off a hook and tying it around his waist. “But it makes me glad to know you appreciate the beauty of these plants. Everyone here works so hard to tend to them.”

“These here… these are from Duscur, are they not?” Dimitri asked, stepping over to some red vines that hung off a flowering shrub. Dedue’s face threatened to flush at the prince’s knowledge.

“Indeed, they are.” Dedue pruned them first, snipping off two full blooms as he tossed the dead stems in the bin nearby.

“Oh, they’re so beautiful…” Dimitri politely took one and sniffed it. “I bet these would look magnificent in a vase, or ten,” he chuckled, handing it back to Dedue with a smile.

The Duscurian man nodded, silently continuing his work as Dimitri sat. His head felt light at the realization that his favorite person was cohabitating the space with him in his most favorite room of the entire monastery. His beautiful blonde hair made him picturesque against the vibrant flora of the greenhouse, his long limbs delicately crossed over his form making it look as though he were sitting for a portrait. It nearly distracted Dedue, making him over-water a rosebush near the front of the room.

“Thank you for coming with me, your Highness,” Dedue smiled as he washed his hands in a basin and returned the apron to the hook.

“It was marvelous, even if you did not allow me to help,” Dimitri jested, following him out of the greenhouse. He stopped and looked down the alley that led to the upper floor of the dormitories, turning around and smiling at Dedue with a hint of sadness. “Well… I suppose it is goodnight, Dedue.”

“I can escort you to your room, your Highness,” Dedue offered, standing dutifully next to him and ready to do just that.

“Do not be silly, I am perfectly capable of walking to my room by myself,” Dimitri laughed, his hand coming up like it had earlier in the afternoon. This time, though, it rested on Dedue’s shoulder, his smile brightening in the dim light of the evening and in the presence of the other. “I apologize if my words earlier were a bit… harsh,” he admitted, his hand lingering. Dedue tried not to sweat, tried not to instinctively pull away from his touch. “I truly appreciate your company and all that you do for me.”

“Thank you, your Highness.”

Dimitri bowed at him, as he always did, and slowly walked away towards the stairs. How Dedue yearned to stop him, to grab his hand and spill out the torrent of thoughts running through his mind. But all he could do was wait until the blonde had reached the top step, nodding at him when he turned around one last time before going inside. When Dimitri was gone, Dedue quickly escaped to his room, not bothering to even remove his uniform before falling into bed.

**

Sunlight awoke Dedue, an almost eerily bright light bringing his heavy lids open. A twinge of regret made him wish he’d properly removed his uniform the night before, for now he only had one more set before he’d have to do laundry. With a yawn he stood up and stretched, going down to pull on the hem at the bottom to remove his shirt, but gasped quietly when he saw he was wearing different clothes entirely.

As a matter of fact, he wasn’t in his dormitory bed, nor in his room next to the Professor’s at the monastery. Dedue had stood up and placed his feet on a cool marble floor, his body surrounded by a luxurious silk robe. The walls around him were of a rich chamber, the bed he’d risen from a canopied one that could fit three of himself.

It seems he had not in fact woken up, but was dreaming.

The dream was pleasant so far, so Dedue walked over to the nearby dresser and looked at the gold mirror that hung over it. His appearance hadn’t changed; his white hair was still short up top and pulled into a small ponytail in the back. But these sleep clothes looked far too fancy for something he’d ever wear, making him wonder exactly where it was he stood. The bed had been empty, but based on the objects on the dresser it looked like this room was inhabited by at least one other person.

He peered inside the dresser and saw clothing that looked more suitable to those back in his trunk at the monastery, so he pulled them on and hung the silk robe up in the wardrobe. More fancy garments hung there, it seemed, but what caught Dedue’s eye were the pair of earrings that sat delicately on a shelf inside amidst the hanging clothes. It was an exact copy of the one he’d been wearing for years, only now there were two instead of the single one he wore. He picked them up and saw the same small chip on the back of one, the same chip that had resulted from a fall from a horse. The other was newer, although it needed a good cleaning.

Dedue took a deep breath and returned them to the shelf, closing the doors of the wardrobe and making his way to those of the chamber. It was clear to him now that this was _his_ room, albeit his space somewhere in the future. Was this the future? No, he shouldn’t be so silly, this was a _dream_. A dream his mind had fabricated and was now having his subconscious live out while he was asleep. Nothing more.

The chamber doors opened up to a grand hallway, an eerily familiar hallway but not one he could immediately place in the moment. Faces on portraits on the walls were blurred, only shapes of extravagant gowns and weapons able to be seen in them. The carpet that lie on top of the marble flooring was a beautiful dark blue, intricate swirls and stars embroidered onto its façade. Dedue was uncertain if he should go right or left, so went with his gut and veered to his right and followed the hallway.

A muffled laugh could be heard behind a cracked door nearby. It was a child, by the sounds of it, a child who was happily playing with their toys. Dedue went to continue on, not wanting to bother this child and to let them play, but the door could be heard opening as he walked by it.

“Papa!”

Dedue stopped dead in his tracks. It had surely been one of his first thoughts, but not one he was quick to accept and think about. He slowly turned around and felt his brain go fuzzy at the sight before him. A little girl, no more than four years old, stood in front of Dedue with a wide smile on her face. In her arms was a cat toy, a fluffy one with a ribbon tied around its neck. She wore a gorgeous yellow nightgown and fuzzy pink socks, hair tousled as though she had just gotten out of bed.

Just the sight of her made Dedue’s heart weak. She was sunshine in every way, from the melodic sound of her laughter to the wide grin that showed her baby teeth. When she bounced on her feet her long white hair went with it, shimmering down like a waterfall over her similar cinnamon skin. Although she was nothing more than a dream, but a make-believe girl Dedue’s mind had decided was his daughter, he was hyper-aware of his desire to protect her, to make her smile and happy.

“Papa! Come play with me!”

Surely this could not be a horrific nightmare in which this child who so happened to look like him would mysteriously murder him…

“What is your name?” he asked her, following her into her room.

“Papa! Don’t be silly! I’m Izzie! Your Isabel!”

 _Isabel_. Her name was beautiful, just like her. His heart fluttered when she said it, watching as she sat down amongst a pile of toys on the floor. He sat down across from her, flushing when she pushed them all over to him and sat down in his lap.

“I was just playing with Felix! Because you know, Uncle Felix is coming today!”

 _Uncle… Felix?_ Surely she couldn’t mean Felix Fraldarius. To Dedue’s knowledge he did not have any living siblings, and Glenn had never taken a wife before his tragic death. Who in the world could she be referring to? When he looked at the cat toy, he was unsettled by how similar its expression was to his classmate’s.

“Uncle Felix?” Dedue could not help but ask her to clarify incredulously as she pulled a fox toy into her arms.

“Papa.” The girl called Isabel whipped around and looked at him, little hands on her hips even as she sat in his lap. “You’ve known Uncle Felix longer than I have! Are you feeling okay? Papa needs to go back to sleep, Felix! ‘Meow, meow!’”

“I assure you, I am feeling quite well,” Dedue said, smiling at her apologetically. “Why is your cat called Felix if he is named after Uncle Felix?”

“Well, Uncle Sylvain gave it to me! And he always jokes with me that Uncle Felix is a lot like a cat! He said that there are lots of kitties at their home in Fraldarius. I wanna go back, Papa. They have lots of snow there.”

 _Uncle. Sylvain_. _Living in Fraldarius._ Now Dedue surely knew this was a dream, this reality one that could never exist in the real world. He’d seen Sylvain hanging two women off of his arms as he and Dimitri had entered the greenhouse.

“I can’t wait to see them, Papa,” Isabel smiled happily, looking at her cat and fox toys before hugging them. “But I’m most excited to see Eisner.”

 _Eisner?_ It was the name Dedue knew to be the Professor and Captain Jeralt’s last name. It wasn’t a name he and the rest of the Blue Lions heard often, as Byleth required little more than a shout in his general direction whenever anyone needed him.

“Do you have any toys named Eisner?” Dedue asked bemusedly, looking around at the spread before them. Isabel nodded excitedly and pulled a small kitten from underneath a wyvern doll. “A baby cat, just like baby Eisner!”

So this child… this Eisner… was the child of Sylvain and Felix? He didn’t want to upset Isabel by asking her to clarify, but it made sense. But the implications of Sylvain and Felix having a child together made Dedue’s head spin. When had they gotten married? What had finally made Sylvain settle down, enough that he had become a _father_? Did they have more?

And if Sylvain and Felix had had a child together, it made Dedue realize he was wholly unaware of who Isabel’s other parent was.

These questions made Dedue weary. None of it particularly mattered. This was a dream. Instead of talking and spoiling the moment, he continued to watch his daughter play with her toys, gently braiding her hair absentmindedly while her imagination filled his heart with love and wonder.

**

They sat there for what felt like hours, Dedue just quietly enjoying a dream he wasn’t sure he wanted to end. Isabel talked about her friends, most of which were her toys since she was so little. Her favorite foods, Dedue realized as she described them, sounded like those that came from Duscur. It was the most curious thing, something he could not help but ask about when she spoke of them.

“Yeah, Papa,” she grinned, finally climbing off his lap to sit in front of him. Her hair spread out beautifully behind her as she brought a lion toy up into her arms, her little thumb going into her mouth. It was clearly her favorite. “You make me and Daddy so much good food… Can we go eat? I’m so hungry.”

 _Daddy_.

He didn’t even realize the word was falling off his desperate tongue, his brain fuzzy as Isabel said it so genuinely and candidly.

“…Daddy? I cook for you and Daddy?”

Isabel gave him a look. A look he’d seen a million times before, a look he sometimes thought about when he needed a smile. Her left eyebrow cocked up and her head tilted _just_ so. Dedue looked at her eyes, her beautiful baby-blues, and felt as though he’d momentarily lost all of his senses.

 _Daddy_.

“Where… where is Daddy, Isabel? Do you want to go see him with me?”

“Hhhmmm… he’s probably downstairs in his meeting room. Even though Uncle Sylvain and Uncle Felix are bringing Eisner today, he had to work. I was really sad when he came to kiss me this morning. I told him, ‘Daddy, no! I don’t want you to work! Eisner is going to be here and I know he loves you too. He’s still so little but I _know_ he’ll want a hug from you, Daddy! He loves them. Eisner _loves_ hugs.’” Isabel had stood up and gone to her wardrobe. She pulled out a gown and looked at Dedue for help. “Papa… this dress is hard to put on,” she grumbled.

Dream or not, Dedue was still flustered and helped her change with tightly shut eyes. But when he opened them his heart did another backflip, his beautiful daughter looking like a real-life princess in the dress. It was lavender and complemented her hair and skin so well, but what Dedue noticed was the stitched design on the bodice. He didn’t want to believe what he saw, but given everything Isabel had mentioned, there was little else it could be…

“Let’s go, Papa! I’m sure Daddy won’t mind if we go to his meeting. I go in there all the time and he just gives me hugs and kisses!”

Dedue followed the little girl, vehemently denying the recognition that was dawning on him the more he walked through the halls. Objects were clearer now, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where his dream had taken him.

Isabel knocked on the door at the end of a large hallway after having waved at who Dedue could have sworn were Ashe and Ingrid. He’d smiled at them, or felt as though he had; his mind was currently too worked up to focus on anything but following his daughter.

“Come in.”

Dedue wanted to run. He recognized that voice. He knew where he was. He knew who Isabel’s other parent was. It was nearly too much for him. Before he realized what he was doing, he turned around and bolted. Even in a dream, even though it wasn’t real, he couldn’t even begin to _think_ or _hope_ this could be a possibility. None of the people they’d seen before reacted to his sudden departure. He ran until he was back in the room where it’d all started, out of breath and shuddering.

The human brain could be cruel. Dedue knew it now more than ever, his own fabricating this world where they were… married. Happy. Happy enough to have a child together. Flames, his brain was even advocating for Felix’s, of _all_ people, happiness. Sylvain and Felix were even happy in this dream, assumedly in a similar situation to Dedue. Their children were close, and they seemed to be close enough for them to refer to them as their uncles.

Dedue was beginning to believe this was a nightmare. These impossible, unobtainable desires he so selfishly daydreamed about were thoughts he did not even deserve to have. Such intimacy with the man who had saved him… to wear his ring on his finger and to live in his palace while they raised a child together. Dedue did not deserve such happiness. He had promised himself he would too protect Dimitri’s queen, whoever she may be, and would watch over their children just as readily as their father. It could _not_ be him at Dimitri’s side, and would never be him.

But this palace. The matching earrings in the wardrobe. Isabel’s eyes, her _beautiful_ eyes that were an exact copy of his. These were things Dedue felt would drive him mad for the rest of his days. Knowing these things were not real, nor could ever take place in the world where they currently lived. It was agony knowing that that was his truth.

Dedue would not cry over these things, but he felt his chest tightening as he clenched the sheets below him on the bed. The bed where his dream self slept with the man he loved, his husband. It was here they spent time together, and played with Isabel and her toys. It was here they were able to love, a private setting away from the public eye of the kingdom.

_In your dreams. Only in your darkest, most hellish nightmares._

“Papa?”

Dedue sat up and saw Isabel standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her little face. It broke his heart into a million pieces just looking at her, his arms going up to welcome her into his arms without him realizing what he was doing. She climbed up on the large bed and curled up in Dedue’s lap, sucking her thumb and pouting at him.

“Daddy was sad you didn’t want to see him,” she said.

“I… was not ready to face him.”

“Why not?”

Dedue was silent, running his fingers absentmindedly though his dream daughter’s hair. Her eyes bore into him like the sun itself, causing him simultaneous happiness and horror all at once. There was part of him that wished she wouldn’t stare, not wanting yet another reminder of something he couldn’t have. But what if he never dreamt of her again? He wanted to burn the beauty of her into his mind, never ever wanting to forget even a make-believe product of his and Dimitri’s love for one another.

“I do not know if I am deserving of this. This is not how I imagined being with… with Daddy, Isabel.”

“Daddy said it took you a long time to love each other. What does that mean, Papa?”

His heart panged at her comment. Dedue himself couldn’t possibly begin to explain, for he thought he’d be dead in the ground before those feelings were ever expressed. Hell would freeze over before whatever dreams came to him were an even remote possibility.

“Telling someone you love them is a very difficult task,” Dedue replied, mind flashing back to earlier in the evening, all of the unspoken things his mind had been telling him to divulge to Dimitri. “Daddy is a king. Papa is… just a man from Duscur.”

“I love Papa and Daddy no matter _what_ they are,” Isabel frowned, hugging around Dedue’s waist. He could have sworn she was sniffling, but his mind didn’t want to accept that he’d made his daughter cry. “And Daddy doesn’t care, Papa. Daddy loves you. I know he does.”

“It is… unfortunately not that simple, my heart,” Dedue muttered, wiping her eyes.

“I don’t think that’s true. I know you love Daddy.”

“I do. Possibly more than I even know.”

“Then… wouldn’t you do anything to be with Daddy? He said there was a war. That’s a big fight, he said,” Isabel whispered. “But during the war… he said you were gone. But then came back because you wanted to be with him.”

Dedue couldn’t even fathom when a war was going to happen, but he shrugged it off given the fact he was still dreaming.

“I would never leave Daddy if I could help it, Isabel,” he said with a smile, resting his large hand on her tiny shoulder.

“Well, that proves it, Papa. You love Daddy no matter what, and Daddy loves _you_ no matter what. If you’ll always be there for him, then that means you can be with him forever!”

Isabel stood up and slid off the bed, offering her little hand up for Dedue to take.

“Come on, Papa. I know Daddy wants to see you. He said he wants to tell you _and_ me that he loves us!”

Dedue took a deep breath and took her hand. They walked the same path through the castle, past Ashe and Ingrid right up to the door to his meeting room. Dedue looked down at his dream daughter, _Isabel_ , and her eyes. He could not deny his joy that his brain had fabricated a daughter that looked like him and knew of Duscur, but the best part was her gaze. And the source for that gaze was sitting on the opposite side of this door; they only need open it.

“Ready?” Isabel asked, squeezing his hand with a smile.

“I believe so.”

The door swung open with an excited push from the little girl. Dedue felt his brain going fuzzy again as he regarded Dimitri sitting in a large wing-backed chair at the head of a meeting table, documents spread out around him.

“My princess!” he happily lifted Isabel into his arms when she ran to him, showing her with kisses and tight hugs. “And my love.” Dimitri stood up, Isabel still in his arms, and crossed the room to Dedue. He needn’t stand too much on his toes, but the kiss he pressed lovingly to his lips sent the Duscurian man into a freefall.

The dream, the world, and time stood still, everything dissolving away with his husband’s embrace.

**

Dedue blinked his eyes open. To be certain he was no longer dreaming, he pinched his cheek roughly. The dim light of his dormitory slowly allowed him to see he was back in his bed. He achingly stood up, realizing he hadn’t moved from his face-down position at all. His uniform was removed and hung up, a pair of sleep clothes donned in its place. When he sat back down in the sheets, his mind reeled. Normally dreams would quickly fade upon waking, but the one he’d just had had felt as though it were real. He could see Isabel’s beautiful hair and eyes still, smiling at him and Dimitri as they kissed.

But now, in the real world, Dedue was reminded of why he considered it to be a nightmare. A horrible look into an impossible future, a smack in the face full of things he could never have. Isabel would never again sit in his lap for comfort, and Dimitri would not kiss him so lovingly. No matter how his heart ached for those things, they’d never come true.

Dedue could not shake the words of his daughter, however. _You love Daddy no matter what, and Daddy loves you no matter what. If you’ll always be there for him, then that means you can be with him forever_. Despite her interpretation of Dedue’s love, she had been right. It was another cruel joke from his brain though, offering a path that that love could never take. Dedue could not change that he was from Duscur, nor that his people were framed for killing Dimitri’s father. It was that very fact that he could never love him the way that he wanted, the way that he dreamt of.

Dedue stood again and slipped on his shoes. He knew it must be early, but early enough that no students would be out and about. He tracked back to the greenhouse, knowing at least for now there was a simple way for him to express his love for Dimitri.

As he snipped the Duscurian flowers from the shrub in the greenhouse, Dedue heard the door open. He turned to see that it was Sylvain, hair disheveled and uniform haphazardly thrown on.

“Dedue! What are you doing here so early?” he asked sheepishly, fretfully tucking his shirt into his trousers.

“I… I was fetching some flowers for his Highness. He commented yesterday that they would look nice in a vase.”

“Oh, _wow_ , Dedue, great minds think alike! I was here to get some flowers too!”

Dedue was surprised to see Sylvain don an apron and gloves, watching as he scanned the flowers that people were able to take.

“Are you looking to procure some flowers for your… companions?” Dedue asked delicately, snipping a few more stems from the vine. He wrapped them up in cheesecloth and held the bunch in his arms.

Sylvain laughed dryly, squatting near a bed of hyacinths. “Heh… No. They left shortly after I got them to my room. But I don’t think you want to hear about that.”

Dedue watched him, watched the careful way he cut the flower stems and gently laid them in the soil.

“Have you ever had like. A weird dream that felt eerie and future predicting, Dedue?”

Dedue stopped dead, looking at Sylvain with wide eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh man, this is going to sound wild! But I know Felix won’t believe me—” Sylvain sat back on his behind and looked at Dedue with a shocked expression on his face. “I doubt you will either,” he laughed as Dedue came over and sat beside him. “But… I had a dream that…” Sylvain took a deep breath and put his head in his hands, laughing nervously. “I had a dream that Felix and I were _married_. Not only that—we had a _baby_. A baby! With _Felix_!”

Dedue felt as though he had been transported to an alternate dimension. But he let Sylvain continue nonetheless.

“I know I’m an asshole,” Sylvain admitted, a bitter frown on his face. He delicately picked up one of the hyacinths and looked at it’s multitude of small petals. “But I’ve always felt differently about Felix. Never in a way I thought I’d say out loud,” he grumbled, putting the bloom back down in the soil and sighing. “I thought these feelings would go away. That’s what Miklan and my father always said.”

Dedue felt as though a knife had gone through his heart. He stared concernedly at Sylvain, unsure of what to say.

“But… I think I love Felix. That dream? That wild shit my brain came up with? It felt… right, you know? I woke up with him in my dream. And our baby… gods, our baby, Dedue? Looked _just like him_. That same hair, his angry little pout… At first I was convinced I was a booty call and the baby’s mother was going to burst in on us at any second.”

Dedue felt as though Sylvain was mostly talking to himself, but he continued to listen.

“But… his _eyes_. Dedue… he had _my_ eyes. He was Felix! Little Felix through and through… but when that baby opened his eyes… I just saw myself.”

Dedue couldn’t decide which was more bizarre: the fact that they’d experienced the exact same dream on the same evening, or the fact that both their dream children were near copies of the men they wanted to be with besides their eye color.

“Anyway…” Sylvain resumed trimming the flowers. “I know it’s a shitty place to start but I wanted to tell Felix I was sorry. We were supposed to train last night… and my dumb ass blew him off to be with those girls. I’m not expecting him to ever marry me,” he laughed, a hint of a break in his voice that Dedue absolutely noticed, “but I at least wanted to get him something nice to look at. D’you think that’s dumb?”

Dedue looked down at the flowers in his hands. It seemed he and Sylvain had more in common than they realized.

“It is not dumb at all, Sylvain. I know Felix will appreciate the apology. I also think you’d do well by him by training with him today.”

Dedue helped Sylvain find some small flowers to go with the purple hyacinths, wondering if he’d ever get to share with the other man his own dream. It seemed too good to be true at the moment, but he hoped the day would come when he could confide in his friend. An even bigger dream was the possibility of their future children being as close as they were in Dedue’s dream.

The Duscurian man gathered his own blooms in a vase for Dimitri. He added small red flowers amongst the purple blooms, adding a red ribbon around the neck. The sun would be rising soon, as would Dimitri for his training, but Dedue could not yet bring himself to wait outside his door to give him the flowers himself. Instead he placed them just outside it, padding away and back to his own. Unlike when he’d awoken, his head was now calm from the visions he’d seen in his sleep.

Although the dream had felt like a nightmare, it was beginning to feel more and more like something Dedue could hold onto. He and he alone had the contents of that dream to think about when times got rough, when the pining for his prince got to be too much to bear. These times, the more they spent with each other, were more frequent than he liked to admit. But seeing Dimitri talk politely with women or swing his lance in battle could be padded with happier thoughts. Waking up together in that grand bed, their children giggling at the sides as they waited for their fathers to awake. Eating meals with their little ones before needing to tend to official duties…

These were hopes and dreams Dedue had little faith could ever hope would be his. Despite the lack of possibilities, though, he would continue to let his mind run free and gift him with the potential to imagine how delightful it all would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will absolutely be writing more Dimidue ;w; I love them. I hope you enjoyed this!

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter! @setethstiddies


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